Donations still required for Cumbernauld mosque

Aslamualaikum,

Donations still required for Cumbernauld mosque

AN APPEAL has been made requesting further donations for the construction of Cumbernauld’s first mosque.

Mohammed Saeed, vice chair of the Islamic Education Trust Cumbernauld (IETC), wants Muslims to keep ‘digging into their pockets.’ After a ‘twenty year struggle’ the community can look forward to having a purpose built place of worship. Earlier this month a host of local and national dignitaries took part in an official ceremony, which heralded the beginning of the foundation work.

He said: “It has taken a long time but we didn’t want to make the same mistakes as other mosques that could cater for hundreds of worshippers but only had a few spaces for car parking. We wanted everything to be right. The finance also had to be in place and since the IETC got involved we have managed to get the support from the entire community, as before there was some difference of opinion on where the mosque should be. However although now there is light at the end of the tunnel I would ask all those concerned to continue to support as financially. Don’t forget about as, we still need your help.”

Mr Saeed is full of praise for North Lanarkshire Council, who he says have been ‘fully supportive’.

He adds: “The mosque is being built on prime land which stands at 1.85 acres. We managed to buy it very cheaply (£18,000). The council could have easily turned around and told us they are not willing to work with us. However they have been very accommodating and the community fully recognises their support. They have imposed certain restrictions to the size and appearance, as they wanted a ‘land mark’ building to be constructed so keeps in with our surroundings. Our architect has given us a marvellous design, which complies with the restrictions and is flexible for future expansion.”

The mosque, which will be situated in the Craigmarloch area, will have a capacity for 600 people. It will also include a dining room, library and separate facilities for women. The total cost stands at over £600,000. Mr Saeed admits given the size of the Muslim population in the region the current arrangement of using a local primary school for prayers wasn’t sufficient.

He said: “There are around 120 Muslim families living in this area. Many families have moved to the area from Glasgow and Edinburgh. The population is expected to grow and it was vital that there was a mosque locally, which can cater for the daily prayers and also provide Islamic education particularly for the younger generation.”

In 2002 North Lanarkshire Council’s planning committee voted 16 to 4 in favour of the mosque’s construction. However not everyone was in favour. Members of the Craigmarloch Community Council and local councillor Gordon Murray voted against the plans. They said their objections were related to the site of the mosque (which was earmarked for a Town Park) rather than on race or religion.

Mr Saeed, a successful businessman in the area, admits not everyone supported plans for the mosque but is now looking forward to the future.

He said: “There were some objections mainly related to noise and car parking but these complaints were also made at the time when the local church first opened. As far as the issue of the Town Park, the council has reserved the right to buy a piece of land that will provide access to any future development. That was all in the past and hopefully our target of allowing the community to pray at the new mosque in Ramadan can be achieved. We are planning several fund raising events so the money is in place for the work to be completed in time. I would urge everyone to keep on digging into their pockets so we can meet our aim.”

For more information on the Cumbernauld Mosque please visit www.islamtrust.org